Dial Tone
by InnocentFighter
Summary: Summary: At the end of the day few people cared and his life sucked, so he decided to leave it up to chance and dialed a random number, those ten digits changed his life


**Prompt: Imagine person A is feeling suicidal because they feel that no one would even care if they died. Looking down from the place that they intend to jump from, they decide to give the world a final chance to prove someone cares by dialing a random number on their phone. If no one answers, they will jump. The number they dial just so happens to be person B's number. How person B reacts to person A's explanation is up to you. (MarcoAce)**

 **A/N: I really liked this prompt and as usual expect so occ because its an AU and sometimes I feel like my characters slip from their canon personality. I tried very hard to not, but I think its a little iffy on Ace. What am I gonna do? I'll get better. Otherwise enjoy!**

 **Warning: Suicide mention and attempt(I guess technically he didn't go through with even doing it but to be safe**

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He inhaled once, the wind whipping through his hair as he stood on the edge of the bridge. There was a faint taste of metal in his mouth from where he had bitten the inside of his cheek. Part of him felt bad that he would be leaving the world in such a way, but he couldn't bother his brothers with something as minor as his problems, and they were the only ones that cared; the world was cruel if you were a homeless orphan teen. Sabo and Luffy were making something of themselves, but here he was struggling to hold down a job for more than a month.

Ace supposed the world, in general, was cruel. He'd leave it and its cruelties behind, but the part of him that still felt guilty was keeping him from letting himself take that last step to the churning water below. The weight of his phone was heavy in his pocket, he reached down.

The device was old, but it still worked, thankfully, he'd gotten enough money from his last two jobs to keep it running for the next five or so months, but after that he'd have to make buying the time a priority. Then again, if tonight went the way he planned money wouldn't be a problem. He flipped the top open and rubbed his thumb on the worn numbers.

A random number, a random chance, a random act of kindness. If he got that from this stranger at three in the morning, he'd step back from this ledge and climb over the railings and try to get on his feet.

He pressed the keys at random, but made sure to keep the area code. The dial tone seemed to go on forever, until on the third ring, it clicked to see someone had picked up.

"Who is this?" The voice sounded tried.

 _Opps, I woke him up._

"Thatch, I swear if you're using another person's phone because you got drunk and lost yours _again_ I am going to leave you where you are." Whoever it was sounded irritated.

"I'm not Thatch. I doubt you know me." He spoke calmly.

"Sorry, my brother does this a lot. Can I help you?"

Ace's eyes widened. "Maybe."

He could hear the man's sound of confusion. "Please tell me you aren't drunk."

The young male almost laughed. "No."

"Then, what could I maybe help you with."

"Just hear me out first." His voice was still steady, thankfully.  
"Sure?"

Ace took in another deep breath. "At this very moment I'm standing on the bridge crossing the river, and I'm prepared to jump."

Over the line he heard a sound he couldn't quite figure out if it was surprise or shock or concern. But he continued on.

"I dialed a random number, and it just happened to be yours-"

The man on the other line cut him off. "Don't jump."

Ace blinked in surprise. "Why?"

"There's not a single reason someone should end their own life, yoi." The way the guy said it, was said with such certainty it was impressive.

"My life is complete and utter shit." Ace returned calmly.

He could hear the male on the other end make a noise. "So? It could get better."

"Its always sucked, its never gotten better."

Ace wondered if the man was getting frustrated with him and the water was looking tempting.

"What's your name, yoi?"

"Ace. Portgas D. Ace." He repeated automatically.

"I'm Marco."

He couldn't figure out what the man was getting at.

"Listen, I know the bridge you're talking about." Marco sighed. "I know you don't have a reason to trust me, I'm a guy you called at random but-"

Ace couldn't help himself, he was curious, a spark that he hadn't had since he was a teenager. "I don't have a reason to _not_ trust you."

Marco let out a breath that could've been a laugh. "True, but stay where you are, I'll come find you."

"Why? You don't know me." He exclaimed.

"That's right I don't know you, but I don't think you should throw your life away. Now that I Know what you're about to do, I'm involved and I can't just let someone die after they get off the phone with me."

Ace blinked. It was true that he had called to see if someone was kind enough to care about a no name kid, a stranger, but this was beyond what he thought would happen. Marco was different from everyone else, he had a feeling.

His mind was reeling and all he could say was, "okay."

He heard shifting from the other side of the line, and Ace guessed it was Marco getting dressed. Again he found himself wondering about this man, and wouldn't it have been easier if he hung up the phone.

"Don't hang up Ace, not that I think you'll go back on your words, but just as a peace of mind for me."

"Alright."

There was silence on the line, and then Marco was speaking again.

"Everyone's got a story, why don't you tell me yours, yoi."

Ace didn't know how but he somehow knew that the man wasn't talking about his story of how he got to the point of ending his life, not yet. So he ended up talking about growing up with his brothers and some of the stunts they pulled together, leaving it vuage on princible. People sometimes changed when they learned that a person was homeless.

Sometime later he heard a car pull up behind him, and he turned around carefully. There was really only one person that would be on this bridge at this time, and as the echo on his phone got louder some excitement grew in him.

The man that stepped out wasn't what he expected, not one bit. The first thing that he noticed was the odd hair cut, it was a pretty shade of blond but it resembled a pineapple. Next Ace noticed the dropping eyes that gave the man a permanently relaxed lazy look. Finally he noticed that the man was bare chested except for a blue tattoo on his chest and a purple jacket. Marco had his phone pressed to his ear, and Ace noticed that the eyes were actually alert and concerned.

The blond turned his phone off, Ace saw him pull the phone from his ear as well as the beep that followed an ended call.

"You weren't kidding about being on the edge." Marco said in as a greeting.

"Did you think I was lying?" Ace asked.

"No, I just thought you were over the rails and not actually on the ledge." Marco shrugged.

Ace fully turned around on the ledge, letting Marco get a good look at him. He knew that made quite the sight, his hair was tasseled and mess beyond all hope, he wore a baggy sweatshirt and equally baggy shorts with a too large belt, and his eyes were red rimmed from the pity party he threw himself before he came to the bridge.

"So, Ace, why don't you climb back over and we can go get breakfast?" Marco said easily, leaning on the rails.

Ace pursed his lips, at this point if Marco was some kind of serial killer he didn't have much to lose. He shrugged and carefully walked back over, easily jumping over the rails.

When he landed Marco looked him over once more before sticking out his hand.

"Pleasure to make your formal aquaintnece."

Ace grabbed the outstretched hand.

One Year Later

"Hey Marco, have you seen my keys?" Ace called out.

"They should be by the front door." Marco called back.

Ace frowned, he'd already checked the bowl there and they weren't. "They aren't!"

"Did you leave them in your jacket?"

"Maybe, which one did I wear last night?" He walked through the house towards the kitchen.

"The red one." Marco answered, coming to greet him.

Ace couldn't help but admire his boyfriend, he was in a dress shirt that wasn't full buttoned and a loosened tie. He grinned, if someone had told him a year ago that he would have a stable job, a bigger family, and an amazing boyfriend he would've laughed in their face because that was impossible.

Despite the light mood of the morning, he let himself think back to _that night._ After Marco had picked him up they had gone to a 24-hour café and just talked until the sun had come up. Marco had told him about his crazy family, all his siblings were adopted and there were a lot of them, and about his job. In return Ace had told him that he was about to get laid off at his current job and about how he had a similar connection with his own adopted brothers.

Marco had made him keep in touch with him, and the older male had even helped get him his current job as a firefighter.

Three months after that they started dating.

Now nine months later they were happily together, and practically inseperable. It was still a strange feeling for Ace to wake up and have a grin on his face for no reason, and looking forward to the day and the next, and even the one after that.

Shaking he came back to the present, Marco looking at him slightly concerned but not saying anything.

"Nothing, just thinking about how lucky I am."

Marco raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Yeah." Ace squeezed by his lover, making to sure to have more contact than needed as he headed to his jacket that was hanging over one of the kitchen chairs.

He picked the jacket up and sighed in relief when he heard the jingle of keys.

"Found them."

"That's good." Marco replied, from where he had started buttering toast.

Ace strode across the room quickly to where Marco was standing giving the slightly taller male and hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I'm heading out now." Ace said after he stepped back. "Don't forget that we're having dinner with my brothers, and significant other."

"How could I forget, I've been waiting to meet them for awhile now, and don't scowl, Luffy is happy with Zoro, you know that."

"Doesn't mean I have to like him." Ace pouted.

"Yes, yes. But maybe that'll change after you meet him."

Ace shot his lover a disbelieving look, to which Marco shrugged.

He rushed up to the other once more and kissed him on the lips. "Okay I'm leaving for real this time."

"Be careful, I love you."

Ace's face heated up as well as having his chest twist in joy, he didn't think that he'd ever get tired of hearing those words.

He smiled back, softly. "I will be. I love you too."

Also, he didn't think he'd ever get tired of saying those words.

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 **As usual leave your thoughts below! Thanks! Later ~IF**


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